Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars

So in my never-ending quest to see how different cereals work within the parameters of a Rice Krispie Treat recipe, I decided to try out some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. (Previously I’ve experimented with Fruity Pebbles and Golden Grahams.) These were pretty bombtastic, as some people say. I wanted to enhance the cinnamon and french-toasty flavors, so I added some extra cinnamon and maple extract, but they’re not kidding when they say the cereal is packed with cinnamon flavor! So maybe I went overboard…

These are really easy to make, and anyone who likes cinnamon will certainly get their fill!

CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH BARS – Makes 20

One Box (11oz-ish) Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, or equivalent

10 oz bag marshmallows

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp maple extract (optional)

Start melting your marshmallows and butter together in a large pan. I typically put the butter in first and try to swish it around and coat everything before adding the ‘mallow. While that’s melding, prepare a baking 9×13″ baking dish by greasing it with butter or shortening.

Keep stirring the marshmallows and butter until a bit smoother, then add in your cinnamon and extract and stir. These are completely superfluous additions – turns out you do not need extra cinnamon at all (that cereal is LOADED), and the maple adds a really nice scent, but didn’t do much for flavor. Oh well, it was a nice thought!

Once it’s all completely melted, remove from heat, and add in your box o’ cereal. Use a silicon spatula to make sure everything is evenly coated. With this type of cereal – flat and square – it was a lot harder for me to evenly distribute the marshmallow. I saw that with the Golden Grahams, too.

When it’s all good and gooey, pour it into your prepared baking dish. Smooth everything out into an even layer across the bottom. That’s it! Let it sit for a bit and cool, and it will become less gooey. When you’re ready to cut into them, grease a big knife with some shortening. It will make everything go much quicker.

Like I said, these bars tasted amazing! They will look a bit on the smaller side since they’ll fall down flat, but they’re still packing some big taste. I’d definitely make this version again. Evil rating is 4 because no one could even eat more than one, they were so intense. I consider that a point of pride, even if I was stuck with all the [tasty, tasty] leftovers.